5. Isaiah 48:17 – “teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.”

II. This First Command is an awesome construction of emphatic language.

A. The individual words are vital.

1. "Thou shalt have no ..." is rendered from the Hebrew word LO which is an emphatic negative: "never," "neither'' "not," etc.

2. "Other," translates the Hebrew word ACHER, which is derived from another word meaning "behind," or "less." This word is translated "'following" or "next" or "(an)other" or "strange'' -- in the sense of being less than the previous object.